More than 40 percent of Pittsburgh seats go unsold

A customer survey at the Pittsburgh Symphony (conductor Manfred Honeck) reveals alarming tendencies.

Only 57 percent of seats at the main classical series in Heinz Hall were filled by paying customers. And many who attended were dissatisfied with the programmes, the ambience, the ritual. One said: ‘Too boring, too many old stuffy people… The last time I attended the symphony it was a total drag.’

According to market research commissioned by the worries orchestra: ‘the PSO is valued for its musical expertise, esteemed international reputation and position as a part of Pittsburgh’s identity… but its core offering — classical music — is swiftly losing its audience.’

How can it possibly reconcile those polar opposites? Post-Gazette report here.